About 80 students will be missing from Russellville Junior High School today, but Nationial Junior Honor Society sponsor Ron Rogers stresses the building’s administration is well aware of the absence — half-a-day, in most cases — and it’s for a good cause.

Rogers and his fellow sponsors, Missy Vernon and Kim Moore, along with parent volunteers will oversee students at seven locations — both main entrances at the Russellville Walmart Supercenter, K-Mart, JC Penney, Hobby Lobby, USA Drug and Kroger — from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today as the ninth-graders volunteer their time as bell ringers for the Salvation Army. The students will be easily identifiable, sporting identical T-shirts bearing the group’s name, along with the name of every participant on the back.

“We want people to know who we are,” Rogers said. “That’s why they’re wearing their shirts. When adults see teenagers out, they want to know ‘Why are y’all here?’ We want to tell them, ‘It’s not court-ordered. It’s volunteer.’ This is usually the biggest day of collection for the Salvation Army, when we do it, because our kids are usually singing and cheerful. I encourage them to wear Santa hats, reindeer antlers — whatever they have or can get to make it real Christmasy. Older people like to see them out there. They like to see teenagers do positive things. I’ve seen them put $5, $10 and $20 in the bucket, where usually people just drop in loose change. They’re so impressed with our teenagers being so cheerful and so positive, they’re encouraged to give more.”

Though participation in the event, which the group has conducted for about 15 years, is required as part of the honor society’s call for ‘service to school and community,’ Rogers said the students enjoy the day of bell ringing.

“At first they say, ‘Eh, we have to do this?’ but then once they get out there and get into it, they really enjoy it — or most of them do,” Rogers said. “The incentive is they miss part of school. They’re so busy, it’s hard to get them organized on a Saturday or something. It’s just impossible because they have so many activities between soccer, band and choir and church and you name it. So they miss a half a day of school. Our principals have been really good about letting us do this. They encourage it because they want the positive message it will send.”

Rogers said aside from a half-day off from school, the majority of students realize what assistance the money they collect can be for those in need.

“They probably don’t realize how big a help it is at the beginning, but by the end of the day when they’re coming back, they’re so excited about how much money people are dropping in,” Rogers said. “They’ll say ‘Hey, this lady put $20 in our can.’ Once they get into it, they realize what a big thing it is. I try to stress to them how we’re helping the community. In this economy, there’s a big need.”

Rogers said he encourages the students to sing and interact with the stores’ patrons. He said the singing is always appreciated.

“I’ve had some boys that couldn’t sing at all, but they just belted it out and people were impressed that they were trying and gave money,” he said. “They don’t have to be good singers. They just have to try, and people notice things like that. I encourage them to interact with everyone and even if they can’t give, wish them a ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Have a Good Day’ — interact with people and not just the ones who give.”

Rogers said one important aspect of the day of service is to let adults see teenagers participating in something positive.

“You see teenagers vandalizing and breaking and entering — those always make the newspaper,” Rogers said. “That’s only about five percent of our population. The other kids are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and people don’t always notice that.”